Automatic Age

Issue: 1942 February

RING THE BELL FOR UNCLE SAM
A N e w Patriotic N a tio n a l P lan for M usic O perators
- S e lls
U. S. D e f e n s e
S ta m p s a n d
Increases P honograph C ollections
“Ring The Bell for Uncle
Sam” is an appropriate title for
this new national plan for Music
Operators.
It is a tested plan and already
has demonstrated that it packs
sufficient pulling power and
showmanship to sell as much as
$100,000,000.00 worth of U. S.
Defense Stamps in a year
through America’s Music Op­
erators.
At the same time the plan
increases collections by GET­
TING MORE QUARTERS IN
THE CASH BOXES THAN
EVER BEFORE.
So read carefully and learn
how you and your locations can
help win the war . . . . help
finance the war . . . . by getting
more quarters in your phono­
graphs every week.
Install a Bell
First, you must install a
BELL in the location . . . not in
the Phonograph, but in a prom­
inent spot on the wall or back
bar where all can see it. The
bell should be connected to the
quarter chute on the Phono­
graph, so that each time a pa­
tron deposits a quarter the bell
will ring loudly. (Your manu­
facturer will gladly furnish
wiring diagram if you do not
understand how to attach the
bell to coin chute). The bell
should be mounted on a sign
such as we illustrate with this
article. The sign is needed for
showmanship and is very im­
portant to the success of the
plan. In fact, you will need
several different signs in each
location.
By J A C K
N ELSO N
Vice President and General Sales Manager
Rock-Ola Manufacturing Corporation
stars . . . and should measure
about 24x36 inches.
The third type of sign is a
small one and you can place
several of them around the loca­
tion if you choose. This sign
simply says, “Free Defense
Stamps — Ask the Cashier” . . .
or “Ask the Bartender.” In this
way you get people asking and
talking about the Plan.
All three types of signs are
illustrated with this article and
are not only easy to produce, but
inexpensive as well.
The Plan
This is the red, white, and blue sign with
bell attached. The bell rings loudly when
quarter is dropped.
Red, White and Blue Signs
Go to a local sign painter and
make a rra n g e m e n ts for the
proper signs to promote your
“Ring the Bell for Uncle Sam”
Plan. Be sure the signs are done
in the patriotic colors of red,
white, and blue. You will need
one sign to accompany the bell
(see illustration on this page).
The size of this sign should be
approximately 12x18 inches.
A second sign should be pre­
pared to go on top of the Phono­
graph, or on the wall behind the
Phonograph, e x p la in in g the
“Ring the Bell for Uncle Sam”
idea in detail to the public. This
sign, of course, should also be in
red, white, and blue . . . with
8
AUTOMATIC AGE
© International Arcade Museum
One 10c U. S. Defense Stamp
is given FREE to every patron
depositing a quarter in the
Phonograph. The q u a r t e r
“rings the bell for Uncle Sam”
and the patron is given his De­
fense Stamp. If the customer
does not have a Defense Stamp
book, the proprietor will furnish
one . . . and Uncle Sam then has
another citizen saving Stamps.
The books can be secured at the
postoffice without charge when
purchasing the Stamps.
The U. S. Defense Stamps are
furnished to the location each
week by the Operator when reg­
ular collection is made. The
quantity of Stamps necessary
for each location can be deter­
mined after a few weeks’ op­
eration of the Plan. However,
it is advisable to start off with
at least forty 10c Stamps per
location.
The cost of the Stamps is
taken off the “top” before the
usual division of the collection
is made between Operator and
Proprietor.
February, 1942
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
To check the number of 10c
U. S. Defense Stamps given
away at the end of the week is
an easy matter. You simply
count the number of quarters in
the cash box. Notation is made
accordingly on the collection re­
ceipt.
Proprietor Gets Credit
Back on the subject of the
signs for a moment — it is very
important that you insert the
proprietor’s name on the large
sign which explains the plan to
the public. It will be good busi­
ness on your part to let the
proprietor get full credit for the
idea. It gives him an oppor­
tunity to demonstrate his patri­
otism to his customers in a
tangible way.
As a general rule, the owner
of an establishment where a
Phonograph is placed is very
patriotic. Usually he started in
business on small capital and he
realizes that the success of his
business is directly dependent
on the success and prosperity of
the nation. Most of these pro­
prietors, how ever, are not
highly educated business men.
They have no office organization.
They want to help their country.
What they need is a simple sales
promotion plan which can be
followed through to a successful
conclusion, all taking place
within the premises of their
own establishments. The “Ring
the Bell for Uncle Sam” Plan
fills this need.
Chicago Locations Test Plan
On various types of test lo­
cations in Chicago, the Plan has
been an outstanding success.
Sales of Defense Stamps and
This is the small "teaser" sign used on
counter or back bar.
Above is the main sign which hangs over the Phonograph and explains the Plan to the
public. Painted in red, white, and blue. Note the proprietor's signature at bottom.
“Quarter Play” has exceeded all
expectations.
One location (an ordinary
tavern) ordinarily getting from
six to ten quarters weekly re­
ceived
73 quarters the first week
47 quarters the second week
52 quarters the third week
41 quarters the fourth week
48 quarters the fifth week
Other test locations in the
Chicago area have done as well.
You can see from the above fig­
ures that 261 Defense Stamps
were disposed of in five weeks.
This would mean that if all Mu­
sic Operators used the Plan in
a p p r o x im a te ly 300,000 to
400,000 locations nationally, our
industry could absorb the annual
sale of nearly one hundred mil­
lion dollars worth of Stamps. A
real contribution to win the
war, which few industries could
February, 1942
© International Arcade Museum
equal.
Although the exact number of
quarters deposited in automatic
phonographs each week is not
known, we have estimated that
on the average at least three or
four quarters go into each in­
strument weekly. It is there­
fore plain to be seen that the
pulling power and showmanship
of the “Ring the Bell for Uncle
Sam” Plan will not only help the
Government sell great quantities
of Defense Stamps, but will also
help to increase collections by
getting more quarters into the
cash boxes.
Let’s all get started at once.
By “ringing the bell” on this
Plan at the same time, the idea
will quickly spread from per­
son to person . . . from location
to location . . . and insure its
maximum success for all con­
cerned.
9
a u t o m a t ic a g e
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